Early Childhood Education Degree for Transfer 

Description

The Early Childhood Education Associate in Science degree for Transfer Program is designed to provide individuals with the foundation into understanding early care, education, and family relations. The Program will prepare individuals to enter into a variety of disciplines and careers working with children, families, and communities. The Early Childhood Education degree for Transfer program will be beneficial to anyone who has children in their lives: parents, teachers (elementary and early childhood education), school psychologists, social workers, counselors, law enforcement, special educators, foster parents, and grandparents.

This curriculum provides a solid foundation upon which to build an Early Childhood Education major at a four-year school. The Early Childhood Education Associate in Science degree for Transfer guarantees transfer to a California State University (CSU) as a junior; however, it is not University of California (UC) transferable.

See Taft College’s Transfer Center. Our Transfer Admission Guarantees include many other schools. Check with your Counselor to see if this degree can transfer to other four-year schools.

Earnings Potential

An associate degree in early childhood education offers you the salary potential of $22,770 two years after graduation from Taft College, with expected increases to $28,159 at five years, based on five-year studies of graduates by California Community Colleges. These do not reflect salaries with a four-year degree.1  Increasing job growth is projected in the field of early childhood education.

Career options with an associate degree include teaching assistant with a median annual wage of $29,360 and preschool teacher at $30,210. Career options and wages dramatically increase for those typically requiring a minimum of a four-year degree. The median annual wage is $61,350 for kindergarten and elementary school teachers; $60,510 for school counselors; $98,420 for elementary, middle and high school principals; $50,390 for social workers; $74,000 for social and community service managers; and $66,020 for police officers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their projected job growth from 2021 to 2031 is 15% for preschool teachers; nine percent for social workers; and four percent for counselors, and kindergarten and elementary school teachers. Over the decade, this means about 63,100 openings for preschool teachers are projected each year, on average, and about 120,300 openings for kindergarten and elementary school teachers are projected each year, on average.2

1 California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Salary Surfer. 2021. https://salarysurfer.cccco.edu. Accessed 19 April 2023.

2 “Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 8 Sept. 2022. www.bls.gov/ooh. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Program

To earn an Associate in Science in Early Childhood Education for Transfer (AS-T) degree, students must complete all course requirements with a minimum grade of “C” in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis; and must complete the General Education Breadth pattern for CSUs with an overall GPA of 2.0. There are no local graduation requirements associated with this degree.

Additionally, students shall be deemed eligible for transfer into a CSU baccalaureate program when the student meets both the following requirements:

  1. Completion of a minimum of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are eligible for transfer to CSU, including both of the following:
    1. The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education Breadth Requirements. 
    2. A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.
  2. Obtain a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

See the degree requirements in the Taft College Catalog. Please note that this links to an external website. 

Program Learning Outcomes

After completing the Early Childhood Education for Transfer major, a student will be able to:

  1. Apply effective guidance and interaction strategies that support all children’s social learning, identity, and self-confidence.
  2. Apply ethical standards and professional behaviors that demonstrate understanding and knowledge, deepening the commitment to early care and education professions.
  3. Design, implement, and evaluate environments and activities that support positive, development play, and learning outcomes of all children.
  4. Develop strategies that promote partnerships between programs, teachers, families, and their communities.
  5. Integrate understanding of the needs, characteristics, and multiple influences on development of children, birth to age eight, as related to high quality care and education of young children.

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